The Les Edwards Snooker Challenge Thread

[Shockerz]

Les , just enjoy the game and stop worrying about high breaks. I have stopped that now and when I play matches I just get what I can.
Some games it's scrappy because colours all off there spots and reds in awkward positions or covering each other. In them situations you should be saying it's going to be difficult to make a 20 break, once you have accepted that then you will find you'll play better because you are not worrying about making a decent break.

Sometimes (not always) winning is more important than playing well.

I mentioned to you a while back that I have entered for the first time into a knockout competition , well I have Won my first two matches.

The first I was receiving 36 start and won comfortably, my second match I was giving my opponent 20 start and it was hard to make any sort of break. I scraped home 3-2 (best of 5) after going 2-0 down.
Every game is different so treat it that way, even the pros sometimes win frames without having made a 30 break in.

I was telling a friend about a Benson and Hedges match in the 80's I saw at Wembley between Higgins and Griffiths.

We had waited for ages to see Higgins live and that night the snooker was awful. There was a quick 63 and apart from that the highest break in the best of 9 was 29....that's snooker!

[vmax4steve]

No we left everything as is when we set it up. Corners where at 3-3/8" I tried it for a year and decided with the encouragement of Terry n Cliff to open them up. They are now a touch over 3-1/2" the same as Terry's.

Yeah I remember now, you bought a new table with bigger pockets rather than get your old one seen to. The question still remains though Les, how big are the pockets going to have to be ? and also how much money are you going to throw at this game before you realise that an old dog can't learn new tricks.
The best players started very young, I feel it was too late for me when I started at 27, thirty years on and I haven't improved since the first six months.
You get worse as you get older, and if you're old to start with...............

[gavpowell]

The best players started very young, I feel it was too late for me when I started at 27, thirty years on and I haven't improved since the first six months.
You get worse as you get older, and if you're old to start with...............

This concerns me, as I'm 34 and was going to try learning to play in the new year(having put it off for ages). I'm almost certainly going to be terrible, so is it worth me trying if I'm too late to significantly improve?

[Terry Davidson]

This concerns me, as I'm 34 and was going to try learning to play in the new year(having put it off for ages). I'm almost certainly going to be terrible, so is it worth me trying if I'm too late to significantly improve?

Just ignore vmax gav. Now if you were planning on turning pro then you are too late but if you want to improve I don't think there is any age limit to that as long as a guy is motivated and practices and maybe gets some coaching if he can (remember I'm biased).

[tedisbill]

The question still remains though Les, how big are the pockets going to have to be ? and also how much money are you going to throw at this game before you realise that an old dog can't learn new tricks.
The best players started very young, I feel it was too late for me when I started at 27, thirty years on and I haven't improved since the first six months.
You get worse as you get older, and if you're old to start with...............

This concerns me, as I'm 34 and was going to try learning to play in the new year(having put it off for ages). I'm almost certainly going to be terrible, so is it worth me trying if I'm too late to significantly improve?

Just ignore vmax gav. Now if you were planning on turning pro then you are too late but if you want to improve I don't think there is any age limit to that as long as a guy is motivated and practices and maybe gets some coaching if he can (remember I'm biased).

I was 27 (in 2011) when I decided I wanted to take the game seriously. My highest break in my life ever was 37. So I started taking it seriously, went for some coaching early on (about 10 lessons). Started to study the game and work out why I wasn't very good.

I'm 31 now. I've now made a few century breaks in frames, the highest being 126. Depends how much you want to be good. Here's a video of me playing a practice frame:

https://youtu.be/5OiktDyJgME

[j6uk]

like it. and quite quick for a tc

[itsnoteasy]

Brilliant Ted !
As for improving at an old age, I started at 47 I'm now 50 and I can now clear the line up and the T line up on a fairly unregular basis lol, my high break is 54 from ,well from nothing before, my game comes and goes but I am very lazy with technique doesn't matter how many talking tos I give myself , it really holds me back maybe it's concentration and that could be an age thing but I think it's just a fault in me that I have to correct.It's time you need, at thirty odd if you have the hours to put in go for it I don't see any reason you couldn't become a decent player and even if you don't if it's what you want to spend your time doing who's to tell you not to, go for it Gav.
Totally agree with Terry coaching is a must to get your basics correct as you don't have the years to waste finding your own way like a lot of the younger players do.

[inevermissblue]

Just ignore vmax gav. Now if you were planning on turning pro then you are too late but if you want to improve I don't think there is any age limit to that as long as a guy is motivated and practices and maybe gets some coaching if he can (remember I'm biased).

You don't need a coach. Just the desire to improve. You would learn at a much faster rate too, as they charge by the hour. So your only drip fed the information. Coaching is an option of course, not a requirement! I am self taught and have made close to 100 tons in match practise, 147's & tons in matches! I have often heard coaches say that to improve from 30,40 & 50 breaks can only be achieved by going to a coach. Evidently this is never true.
Just enjoy the game and let your own initiative take hold.

[itsnoteasy]

Did you start late Inevermiss? Because that's a great standard if you did.

[Leo]

You don't need a coach. Just the desire to improve. You would learn at a much faster rate too, as they charge by the hour. So your only drip fed the information. Coaching is an option of course, not a requirement! I am self taught and have made close to 100 tons in match practise, 147's & tons in matches! I have often heard coaches say that to improve from 30,40 & 50 breaks can only be achieved by going to a coach. Evidently this is never true.
Just enjoy the game and let your own initiative take hold.

Same here I was also totally self taught. Too many people especially on this forum unfortunately don't have the natural talent or the hours to put the required practice in so they think a coach will magically sort this and in some this can happen but you need to have that certain ability in the first place.

[inevermissblue]

Did you start late Inevermiss? Because that's a great standard if you did.

I was all pool when I was a teenager. Only took to snooker when I was 25. Made a century the following year. Wasn't long before I realised I needed to strip down my game completely, being fed up of inconsistency. Due to the randomness that subconscious play involves.

[itsnoteasy]

Did you start late Leo? , it's definitely easier picking things up when your younger and your eyes can focus the whole length of the table and you don't have to make a groaning noise when getting up from a stretching shot

[markz]

You don't need a coach. Just the desire to improve. You would learn at a much faster rate too, as they charge by the hour. So your only drip fed the information. Coaching is an option of course, not a requirement! I am self taught and have made close to 100 tons in match practise, 147's & tons in matches! I have often heard coaches say that to improve from 30,40 & 50 breaks can only be achieved by going to a coach. Evidently this is never true.
Just enjoy the game and let your own initiative take hold.

I agree inevermissblue, I've been playing 4 years now and started at 38 years old. I try and enjoy the game and realised I had to practice as often as I could to become better. Usually I can get to club between once and three times a week. Managed to improve my highest break to 112 this year and get 50s pretty regular. Had numerous centuries in solo practice but I know I'm miles away from being a good player but I'm striving to improve all the time.

The key for myself is I'm always positive about the game, problem with most players is they are too negative and looking for any excuse instead of learning and trying to improve.

[tedisbill]

Well this is pretty eye opening stuff! It seems there are plenty of players that have got to a very good level starting snooker pretty late.

[Leo]

Did you start late Leo? , it's definitely easier picking things up when your younger and your eyes can focus the whole length of the table and you don't have to make a groaning noise when getting up from a stretching shot

No I started around 14 could of been 15